Virat Kohli has reportedly informed the BCCI that he is stepping away from white-ball cricket indefinitely. This move means he will miss the limited-overs part of India's South Africa tour and the T20I series against Afghanistan in January. According to internal BCCI sources, Kohli is shifting his full focus to red-ball cricket, opting to play only the two Test matches in South Africa.
Virat Kohli is said to have notified the BCCI that he will be unavailable for selection in white-ball matches indefinitely. This virtually eliminates him from the forthcoming white-ball phase of India’s tour to South Africa, as well as the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January. According to a BCCI source, Kohli has decided to focus on red-ball cricket for the time being and will just play the two Tests in South Africa, skipping the ODIs and T20Is.
Kohli has told the BCCI and the selectors that he needs some time away from the shorter formats and will update them on his return date later. A BCCI source confirmed that since he is focusing exclusively on red-ball cricket for now, he is still available for selection for the two upcoming Tests in South Africa.
At the same time, it remains unclear if captain Rohit Sharma will be available for the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Both he and Kohli have been absent from T20 cricket since the 2022 tournament in Australia, yet conversations have been happening regarding whether they might return for one final attempt at an ICC trophy during next June's T20 World Cup.
It now seems likely that both Rohit and Kohli have moved past T20Is, and their future in ODIs also looks uncertain. India has a relatively light white-ball schedule leading up to the T20 World Cup. A clearer picture of their roles in the shorter formats will likely emerge after India's subsequent trip to Sri Lanka for a series of ODIs and T20Is.